Requiem of a Hero
by Bluebird0020
Summary: After a New Year's Celebration of mayhem is released, the ultimate prize is sought by villians. The Dark Knight has been defeated. Follow Gotham's Adventures after the loss of their greatest guardian. And witness the rise of a new Knight [chap 1 revised!]
1. Knightfall

New Year's in Gotham City. It was a day long awaited by the Dark Knight. Every year it was something big. Every year, one of his many Rogues attempted some sort of assault on the city. And just like every year, he was prepared to do all that was necessary to defend the innocents of Gotham. Jim Gordon. The police Commissioner and his good friend, was working with him, as he did every year. The entire department was on call, prepared for whatever may come once the clock struck midnight. Emergency Response squads were on standby. Everyone was waiting for the clock to strike midnight. Everyone was waiting for it all to break loose.

Barbara Gordon. Jim's daughter and one of the Dark Knight's closest allies, Oracle, was live in the system and keeping him updated on any anomaly which could possibly become the bearer of disaster. Nightwing and Robin were out in the vast jungle of buildings doing random sweeps. Looking for anything that could lead to the probable disaster that Bruce Wayne knew in his heart, was soon to strike.

His eyes peered into a set of stealth binoculars, the light green lenses giving his mortal eyes the vision necessary to see in the night. His view was set upon Gotham Square where the annual countdown was taking place. The Square was the best target for a night like tonight. It had the largest gathering of people in the city. More victims. More chaos. Batman trusted his opponents to know that he would have a harder time defeating them with mass hysteria enveloping the crowd. And even more so, he trusted them to utilize that knowledge to it's further extent.

There was only a few more seconds until the current year was behind them. Another moving in to take its place. The crowd chanted. Everyone was hyped up…here we go…

"Five!"  
His pace quickened.  
"Four!"  
Those agile eyes of his couldn't detect anything amiss  
"Three!"  
Was he missing something?  
"Two"  
His chest tightened  
"One"  
Here it comes…  
"Happy New Year!!!"

Confetti flew about the skyline and screams of celebration filled the air. Gotham Square was intact. The riot of partying civilians were safe. Nothing had happened. The city was safe? No….words from his training played across his mind. 'When you first start to feel safe…it's time to worry.' And as if on cue, an explosion sounded from at a distance behind him. He turned to look; it was a good way's away. Alas, his mind already had a firm grip on what he knew in his head was sure to be the truth. He could only hope he was as wrong as wrong can get.  
"Oracle, report!"  
"It was Arkham. A large explosion was just triggered there, but I'm not picking up any alarms, which is odd. But at this point inmates have to be flooding out of there like water from a busted dam."  
There was no time to waste.  
"Check. Nightwing, Robin; Mobilize towards Arkham. We've got to repel the escapees before they get too far. Move!"

With that, the Dark Guardian leaped from his perch, disappearing into the abyss of shadows cloaking the alley below him. The eclipsed alleyway, however, was quickly illuminated by the glaring lights of the Batmobile. Its engine thrumming to life as the vehicle shot out of the alleyway, the engine roaring as it raced the vehicle towards its destination. There was a feeling in his gut though. An instinct that something was terribly wrong. As if the shadows of the night weren't even upon him yet. And that TRUE darkness was just around the bend…

------  
"You heard the man, Robin. Let's roll." arose the voice of Dick Grayson. Nightwing knew that war was upon the horizon. And it was going to get real bad, real quick. Dick had done the New Year's thing countless times. Joker, Two-Face, Riddler, innumerable villains have tried to use the celebration to bring a year of utter chaos, right from the start. Every year, whichever scoundrel decided to use it was defeated. He hoped this year would be no different. But he had a bad feeling about this one. It was like the calm before the storm. That point where the rain hadn't even began to fall, but you knew. You KNEW it was coming.

The former Boy Wonder and the current moved quickly through out the shadows. They were close to Arkham. They could navigate the Gotham skyline easily enough to get there in no time whatsoever, moving with the shadows as if they were specters of shade as well. They could only hope, however, that they wouldn't be too late. Arkham housed the most psychotic loons Gotham had to offer. And this was a town that had A LOT to offer.

Nightwing and Robin descended from the rooftops on a small gang of escaped convicts, putting them down with ease as the Batmobile came to a skidding stop, just alongside them, its caped occupant swiftly hopping from the cabin, landing at their side. "We need to contain this. Any visuals on the major Rogues?"  
"None." Robin replied.  
"It's almost like they disappeared into the air…you'd imagine them to be the first to be out here…"  
The young boy's words caused Batman's eyes to narrow in realization both enraged and horrified at the same time.  
"They were…"

He mentally damned himself for not thinking at the time. He should've listened closer. But he was too focused on getting here and putting out the fire before it started. His first mistake of the night.  
'No Alarms…'  
Oracle had said that she wasn't tracking any alarms from Arkham. Which should've started practically shouting alarm once the revolt took place. Which could only mean one thing. The alarms had been previously disabled. A dirty insider. Not something uncommonly found in Gotham. The Rouges were gone before the explosion. Which led to the second horrific realization of the night. The explosion. The escaped convicts. It was all just a simple ploy. A distraction.

Gotham Square…

--------------

Another explosion erupted among the Gotham skyline. This time the Dark Knight's original expectations were correct. Gotham Square was in utter chaos. A large building, randomly chosen, was blown to bits by an infernal detonation so large that the windows blew out in all the neighboring buildings. The debris, chunks both large and small, rained from the heavens, hitting the ground like a miniature meteor shower. Countless died instantly. Worse was only to come.

"Finally, we've got it right!" thus was the voice of Jervis Tetch. The Mad Hatter. One of Batman's many Rouges. Though he was not the only one out here tonight. No…in fact…it was them. It was all of them. The Rouges Gallery had finally found what it would take to get the New Year's scheme down pat. And that? That was allegiance. They'd taken several shots at it over the years. Each going at it by themselves. With their own predictable gimmicks. But now….now there were no gimmicks. There was only destruction. And it was from every Rouge Gotham had to offer. This year…this year the downfall would not be their's. It would be Gotham's.

Killer Croc moved as one would predict. Just sifting from one screaming civilian to the next, killing with joyful glee. It was indeed New Year's, but to the villains it was Christmas all over again. Quite literally in fact, for Victor Fries, the arctic opponent known as Mr. Freeze. He froze up the streets, watching with his usual unamused scowl of a face, as Bane and Croc had a race to see who could kill the most the fastest. His chilly eyes rested upon Jonathan Crane, the Scarecrow, whom was going upon in his usual manner. With all the chaos ensuing, his gas was probably completely unnecessary. He didn't seem to mind.

The Joker aimed a firearm with a ridiculously long barrel at a little girl in search of her parents. His gloved finger moved to pull the trigger when a shadow all too familiar set over him.  
"Oh poo…"  
The Dark Knight descended upon him from above, lurching forward, his boots connecting with the clown's upper back, his momentum pushing Joker down, Batman standing atop him.

All hell was breaking loose in Gotham Square he couldn't even count how many were already dead. All he could do was keep the fatality count from ascending any more than it already had. This was a slaughter of epic proportions. It had to be stopped. And it had to be stopped now.

Nightwing and Robin moved into action alongside Batman. Robin's eyes couldn't believe what they were seeing. There were so many Rouges here that….he just couldn't believe it. So many deaths. So many parents who'd never see their children again. So many people who'd never see their lovers again. It was chaos, by every definition of the word. Just seeing the loss on this epic of scale gave him the will to fight. It was the only choice that he and the rest of his allies had. It was war. Time to fight.

------------

Oracle worked ferociously at her holopads. She couldn't believe the destruction she was seeing. The young redhead managed to redirect Gotham traffic from the Square, and at Batman's command, she had directed all Gotham Law Enforcement to Arkham to wrap up the other escapees, while he dealt with the Rouges. It wasn't the most desirable option, but it was their best shot at taking down the whole thing.

Barbara was currently working at contacting outside heroes. She had nearly established contact with Clark and Kara in Metropolis when suddenly her entire command center went dark. It couldn't be a power-failure. She had back up generators that would've kicked in the instant outside electrical works failed. What the hell was going on!? Suddenly the lights kicked back in, her systems were back online. But just as she moved to type, a voice all too familiar filled the air. That voice belonged to Noah Kuttler. The Calculator.  
"Sorry, Oracle. But this game can only be played in person. Unless you're already in Gotham Square, then you're not going to be saving the day anytime soon. That goes for your little back up buddies in tights as well. I have control over all telecomm in Gotham. There's no way to get word to the outside. Happy New Year's."

------------

The battle for Gotham raged as any war zone would. It was almost every Rouge the city has to offer. The Joker. The Riddle. Bane. Mr. Freeze. Lady Shiva. Clayface. Penguin. Two Face. Mad Hatter. And many more. It was the ultimate battle between good and evil. This was so much more than any typical good guy versus bad guy fight. Yes. This was so much more. This was, in fact…the fight for Tomorrow.

All of those opponents utilized in their prime. Bruce knew that they all must've been just waiting in their cells for this day while the plan was formulated. It had to have been over a year. That explained why the city had been so quiet up to this point. The Dark Knight would've mentally damned himself again, but there was no time. He had a war to win. It was him, Dick and Tim, against everything. Those three were Gotham's last chance. The last stand. Just three. But that would be enough. Because each of them had the heart of the hero. And maybe….just maybe that would be enough, to make it until dawn….

Batman dodged a punch from Bane, the oversized fist digging into the wall that it struck, the Dark Knight then threw his boot into Bane's temple. It was a drop point, simple but effective. He didn't have enough time to get fancy. Bruce had to move as quickly as he could. Time simply wasn't a luxury allowing them to play games with these scumbags. There was too much at stake this time. Too many lives had already been lost. And he knew that more were going to be before dawn reached the horizon. But that didn't mean he couldn't slow the kill count. He could see that Nightwing and Robin had already disabled a few more of the Rouges. But there was still plenty to go.

But something caught his eye. Something that didn't add up. The villains. They were…..retreating? Why? They had the upper hand in this match. Not only that but even when they had the lower end of the stick, they never gave up until Bruce had broken their jaw in eight places. Why would they be pulling out of their victory now? He wasn't being tricked again. He knew something big was going to happen. Something real big. And they didn't want to be around when it happened.

Batman stepped through the debris, grabbing the fallen form of the Joker and slamming him against a ten foot tall piece of debris, forming a makeshift wall. More cracks covered its surface as he did so.  
"Why are they fleeing!?" He demanded, applying more pressure to the Joker against the wall. Blood ran from they psycho's nose and lips, as well as several cuts spanning the surface of his face.. One of his cheeks was swollen. But he still managed a chuckle.  
"The lousiest thing….bat infestation…"  
The Dark Knight gritted his teeth and pulled the Joker off the wall, pulling his insane face close to his.  
"The games are over, damnit!! Tell me why!!" He pushed the Joker against the stone once more, chunks of it cracking off.  
"Heh…well…the best way to get rid of a bat infestation. Get rid of everything…boom. Simple as that."

Batman's eyes widened. A normal human would've instinctively asked himself, 'Could it be possible? Would they really blow up the entire Gotham Square?' But Bruce Wayne was not a normal human. He knew these people. Better than they knew themselves. And he knew that they could, and would do it without hesitation.

"Where are the explosives!?"  
"Subway. Big security room. Just know…"  
The Joker, despite all the pain that his body was feeling right now from the beating the Dark Knight had laid upon him, still managed that sick grin of his.  
"If you go in….you're not coming back out."  
Batman released his grip on the scumbag, letting the Joker fall to the ground. His body crumpling down just before the Dark Knight's boots, he then stepped away from the madman, looking back over his shoulder at the defeated clown.  
"I'm just going to have to find a way to live with that…"

Nightwing watched from a distance as Batman moved away from the clown and into the subway. All the villains whom hadn't already been defeated were fleeing the surrounding area. He knew deep in his gut that the feeling he had earlier? The calm before the storm? Was just about up. Sure the calm had been long gone, but he knew, somehow, he just knew that everything that had just happened would seem like a light drizzle compared to the storm that was about to break loose. With Batman heading off to do whatever it was he was about to do, that left him and Robin still up here. The majority of the civilians had already fled the area. But there were still more than enough in the immediate proximity.  
"Robin, we…." he started, before realizing he really wasn't sure what to do. There was nothing he could do to get them to get out of here faster than they were already moving on their own. Dick's eyes took in all the chaos and he just wished to know what he should do. But he quickly spoke, knowing that 'spare time' simply didn't exist anymore. Hesitation was unnectable.  
"Guide the civilians out. Do whatever it takes to get them out of here as fast as possible. Let's move."

-------------------

As Batman descended a stairway leading to a path in the subway, all he could hear was the Joker's maniacal laugh from above. He didn't care. Let the damn clown laugh. The Dark Knight had higher priorities right now.  
The security room.  
He'd have to get there quickly. If the villains were already fleeing then the detonation of the explosives had to be soon. The caped crusader carved his way through the shadows, easily finding his way to the security room.

Joker's warning resounded in his head. If he went in, he wasn't coming out. That was just a risk he was going to have to take.  
And possibly even a sacrifice he was going to have to make.  
With a movement both firm and swift, his large boot kicked the door clean off its hinges. The Dark Knight stepped into the room, seeing a device laid out across the control panel. He hunched over it, examining it carefully. It wasn't the explosive. It was the remote control mechanism. He could see the countdown to the detonation. Pulling a small black box apart, he tore apart the cables, disengaging the weapon. As far as he could tell the timer linked up to several explosives strategically placed all across the subway. If they had gone off, Gotham Square and all the surrounding buildings would have been leveled. It would've been a smaller version of No Man's Land. Only, it would've been manmade this time around.

It was then that he heard it. The swift hissing sound of a sliding door, followed by the gentle thud of it shutting. Turning, he saw a titanium door in place of the one he had kicked off. It must've been installed for the soul purpose of trapping him in the security room. And then a second sound caught his ears. A ticking. He looked up, seeing a smaller explosive strapped to the ceiling. The countdown timer on it reaching five seconds.  
This was it. The moment he'd been waiting for all of his life. The countdown continued, and the numeric display hit 'one'. And in a single instant his entire life flashed before his eyes. From going to the Opera countless times with his parents, to playing with little Tommy Elliot. Falling into the cave and for the first time, seeing what he knew would become his destiny, to witnessing his parent's murder. And the promise he made. That his life would be nothing less than a war. That he would fight with every inch of strength afforded to him by hard years of training under various masters of all arts…that he would save Gotham. It was a fool's errand. But it was HIS errand. And he gave everything to see that it was carried out. He pushed aside compassion. He threw aside the 'normal life' that he could have easily snatched up. And the evil that stole the parents away from an eight year old Bruce Wayne still plagued the streets, regardless And despite it all. Here he was. Soon to be another casualty of the war on crime. Was it worth it? That was a question that he never once needed to ask himself. He already knew the answer.

Absolutely.

--------------

Nightwing and Robin had effectively evacuated the civilians. The people, however, did a lot of the work themselves. People had a way of initiating that whole 'fight or flight' instinct when the time was right. Even if they were just your ordinary lazy party-goers. They knew when their lives were in danger. That took a lot of the strain off of Nightwing and Robin, gave them a few spare seconds to put down any Rouge which still could be standing. And sometimes just a few seconds were enough.

He personally hated it, but he knew it was the right thing to do. So Nightwing quickly grabbed the Joker and threw him over his shoulder. "We need to clear these guys out of here before—"  
He was cut off by a loud explosion. The ground shook but for the most part, remained intact. Had Bruce failed? Was this going to be it? A large piece of the ground erupted and chunks of gravel and debris flew about. Dick braced himself for the rest of the street to explode, taking him, Robin, and the Rouges with it…..but nothing happened.

And the realization hit him and rocked him harder than any explosion could ever hope to do. He threw the Joker aside like a useless rag doll and darted towards where the Earth had split, screaming a single word as he went.  
"BRUCE!!!"  
His Flying Grayson grace was forgotten. All he could do was run as quickly as his legs could carry him before leaping up and disappearing into the large crack in the ground. 

Robin followed, running to the edge of the crevice and staring into it, seeing nothing through the thick haze of smoky fog that came from the eruption. But when it cleared…there was Dick, crouched before and holding the body of a destroyed Batman. His costume was tattered and torn all over, his cowl was half disintegrated. Tim watched in horror…coming to the same realization he knew Dick had already met. Batman was dead. The former Boy Wonder stood slowly, holding the body of the broken bat in his arms. Much the way Bruce had done with Jason Todd so many years ago. Or the way Clark had done with Conner Kent. Only this time….it was the mentor whom had fallen. Batman…Bruce Wayne….was gone…


	2. Eclipse of Loss

Well here's installment part two. I hope you guys are enjoyin' it so far. Lemme know what you think:-D

Oh, and just to pick up where I forgot for Chap I. I don't own any of the Batman or DC characters. If I did I'd be filthy rich and you wouldn't be seeing this on the net you'd be seeing it in a comic book.

As pellets of rain fell from the heavens and lightening split the skies, the first of two funerals was held. This funeral was that of the son of Gotham's own 'first family'. This was the funeral of Bruce Wayne. It was simple enough for his surviving 'family' to make the arrangements necessary and simultaneously manage to keep his and Batman's identities separate. Ironically enough, the only way that was possible was because so many people had died through out the course of those events, that Wayne could simply be marked as one of the many whom was slaughtered at the celebration, hoping to do nothing more than usher in the New Year. His faithful and loyal butler could attest that Bruce 'had been waiting for several weeks on end to celebrate'. And that the New Year's celebration had always been his favorite. And with that a funeral would be held, successfully diverting all suspicions of the link between Bruce Wayne and the fallen Knight.

Dick Grayson stood there at Bruce's funeral with the rest of the family. Alfred Pennyworth, Barbara Gordon, and Tim Drake. They stood close together, mournful looks filling the deep pools of their eyes as they watched a man whom had been like a son to one of them and a father to the rest, be lowered into his final resting place. His large, well polished and assembled coffin was placed into the Earth right next to where his very own parents had been put to rest over thirty years ago.

Dick could only shake his head with sorrow. He'd buried too many allies. Just…he never thought he'd be burying Bruce. He knew that the same thoughts were echoing through Barbara and Tim's heads at the same time. Grayson couldn't even begin to imagine the toll this would take on Alfred. Bruce had been the son that man had just never had. Just as he was a father to Dick, and a second father to Barbara and Tim. It was…it was something all of them had…somehow knew they were going to face someday, but were never truly prepared for.

His keen eyes glanced around the funeral setting, seeing few people Bruce had actually come to call friends. True friends, like Lucius Fox. No. The majority of the funeral goers were just people he'd worked with. Unknown faces in billion dollar suits. It kind of frustrated Dick, really. They didn't belong here. It wasn't fair. But….as far as half the city was concerned, despite the facade they hid their thoughts with; this was just the funeral of another rich guy. Very few people here actually realized that at this very moment, they were burying this city's greatest guardian. Only a select few. That was enough though. But a few was enough, because that would all it would take to carry on his legend. And the real funeral would be held as soon as this one was over.

There were, however, a few speeches given about how much this man had provided for his city and so on and so forth. Just a few people trying to put on a good image for themselves at what would be one of the biggest funerals this city had held. Dick had heard Tim mutter the words,

"If they only knew how much he'd REALLY given…"

The former Boy Wonder placed his hand on the shoulder of the current, knowing there was no way to comfort the boy, but at least letting him know that he was there with him. They didn't pay much attention to the speakers, the supposed friends of Bruce…not until at long last, Alfred approached the microphone.

"I…" the elder man slowly began, summoning all of his strength to keep his composure. "I have served the Wayne family ever since my arrival in this country from England. And I will say the same of Mr. Wayne as I did his parents…he was, in fact, more than the average man would presume him to be. Caring and compassionate…and…as much as I always was his loyal servant…he, like his father, never treated me as such. Bruce Wayne was the prodigal son that I never had. And…as I bury him today, as I buried his parents before…it is a great loss…but…men come and go, their memories, and the memories they created for those they loved, remain. And now, as I raised him as my prodigal son…there's his own prodigal children to look after…and I just want to say…that despite his passing, I still am, and always will be…his loyal and faithful servant. Goodbye, Master Wayne."

Alfred, as strong as he was, managed to relay his speech without breaking a single tear. But Dick knew, he knew that deep in the man's old bones, he was wanting nothing more than to release himself. But Alfred was an older man of honor. He'd never let himself do such a thing out here. There were few people in this world that still held themselves to such high standards.

----------

With the aid of a glowing green aura casted by the ring of Hal Jordon, one of the Green Lanterns; a large casket marked with a bat emblem slowly lowered itself to the ground inside a large cathedral.

Making the arrangements for this funeral was hard, sentimental reasoning and otherwise. The remaining family left behind by the Bat, decided that there was nowhere other than Gotham to lay Batman to his final resting place. And since this funeral was a private proceeding, being held by the heroes, that meant they had to find a place of secrecy in Gotham large enough to house the bulk of the hero community. However, Commissioner Gordon, a man of influence and a the same time, a good friend of Batman's, had managed to get them this Cathedral. It was both immense and beautiful. A better setting could not be asked for.

The closed casket however, held nothing more than one of the Dark Knight's uniforms. For his body had been laid to rest next to his parents, where Bruce Wayne belonged. However, not a hero saw that as sufficient reasoning to allow that to prevent an arranged goodbye to the Dark Knight as well. So they came, one and all, carrying with them mournful faces, as they bid farewell to one of their best.

The red Kryptonian boots of Superman slowly floated down aside the casket, his deep blue sorrow filled eyes resting upon the bat emblem marking the coffin. Kal-El had buried too many friends in his time, and each instance he told himself never again. However, mayhem had not a calendar, and each time he knew it was a lie. So here he was again…putting to rest, not only another friend, but his first and best ally, Batman.

The Man of Steel's thoughts traced back long ago to one of his many encounters with the Dark Knight. It was few times that Batman had actually allowed himself to show his own mortality and mention his death, which was untold of date, but beyond any doubt, definite in its inevitability…

------

Clark himself had just risen from the dead, and one of the first orders of business after the…initial priorities was to fly to Gotham and see Bruce. It was only rumors for the most part, just bits of shadow some nameless bystanders saw every now and then. But Clark knew that in his…absence, the Dark Knight had done what he could to watch Metropolis' streets. The Man of Steel had approached him in his Cave. He was one of the few who knew about its whereabouts. Bruce never really liked seeing the 'Boy Scout' in his city, but…he didn't say anything. Not even when Clark entered his base of commands without any bit of forewarning.

As Superman floated into the cave, his eyes easily caught sight of Bruce. The keeper of this cavern was standing before his large computer monitor, the scene that had been shown all over the news of Clark's final battle displayed upon it; paused on the frame of Superman lying defeated in the street, held tightly in Lois' arms.

Bruce's suit was still on with the exception of his cowl, standing there in silence; his eyes never once daring to fall away from the large monitor displaying Metropolis' guardian's previous demise. Bruce had to have known he was there; alas he did not turn to face the Kryptonian.

"It'll happen to me someday. And I won't come back." His voice finally killed off the silence.

Clark had been a bit stunned by the sudden words. But he did not allow it to show. It was, however, somewhat chilling how Bruce could speak these thoughts in such a calm manner. But that was Bruce. Clark had long ago accepted his dark and calm…almost melanchoistic mannerisms for what they were.

"I'm sorry, Bruce…I know that doesn't do much. But, for what it's worth, the life you've lead. The sacrifice. All of it…it's accomplished a great deal—"

"Not enough. Never enough." Started the Dark Knight, "Because no matter how much one man does…there will always be evil to plague the innocents." He concluded, his neck still craning back lightly, looking at the huge display.

Kal-El took a few steps closer to his good friend, resting his palm reassuringly on his good friend's shoulder, never allowing himself to look away from Bruce to the screen.

"It…it's not just the way of mankind…it's the way of all civilization. Right now, a war of fools is being fought on countless planets spanning across the universe." Clark took a breath before continuing. "Evil is a symbol, as is good. Neither are destroyable entities. They can't be touched. They can't be heard. They can only be believed in. And it's symbols that inspire men like you to rise."

Bruce remained there, allowing the blanket of silence to once again fall over him. His eyes never once evaded the screen. And then he spoke.

"That's why I created Batman. As a symbol. Which is why, Clark…I need you to promise me something…"

For the first time since Clark had arrived, Bruce shifted, turning and allowing his eyes to lock with the eyes of the last son of a fallen planet.

"Batman is a symbol. I am a man. This is the only thing I've ever asked of you, and it's the only thing I ever will ask of you." Wayne stopped for a moment, letting the depth and value of the words sink into Kent's mind before carrying on.

"When I die…Batman doesn't die with me. I'm going to have a successor. I don't know who. But no matter whom it is…I want you to stand by him. Guide him. Don't let him fall before the challenge. Don't let Batman become corrupted. I know one day my life will end and Gotham will lose Bruce Wayne. Just…don't let it lose Batman."

Clark couldn't conceive the thought of another Batman. There was no one else he could imagine wearing the cowl. Yes, for a short time Jean Paul Valley had gone with the mantle, but everyone saw how that turned out. Alas…he knew how much this meant to Bruce. It was his life's work, but not only that, it was what he felt he owed to his city, for what Clark knew his friend believed to be his human failure.

And for that, he could not refuse.

"…You have my word."

With that he held out his hand. The Dark Knight took it within his own. A firm handshake. Batman's way of saying thank you.

-------

The memory faded, and Kal-El lifted his eyes from the casket to the crowd before him. It was time to begin. "First of all…" he started slowly, "I'd like to thank you all for coming. He'd never admit it, but Batman would have been very grateful to see the amount of love that was being shed for him on this dreary day of days…" Clark remained standing aside the casket, never moving in front of it. Not only so the view would not be blocked out…but because right now, he would do the same he'd done for uncountable years…stand at Batman's side.

"Our friendship was…remarkable at best. We could be antagonistic to each other a great many times…but when it all came down to it; Batman wasn't just my closest ally. He was not just another masked hero, he was…my best friend."

Superman made sure to keep himself standing as he would always, his back straight, his composure at all times, a hundred percent erect, doing the best he could to project an image of strength, despite the loss he carried in his heart.

"He'd never let on that he cared. But Batman was, beyond any doubt, one of the most considerate among us. That's why he'd always fight these fights with us. Why he'd always stand up for what he knew deep in his heart was right, forgetting about whatever pain may be laid onto his own body and soul. Despite the fact that he was just a mortal, he was, by no means 'mere'. Batman was one of our best. And I believe…"

He stopped a second, shaking his head at the last words that had just escaped his lips, before correcting himself.

"No…I KNOW….that he will always live on as a symbol…a symbol for what I call…Truth. Justice. And the American Way."

The Man of Steel set his hand softly onto the casket, his palm resting atop the Bat-Emblem. He then gave a solemn nod to it as if it were Bruce himself. "Goodbye, my friend."

At this point the Man of Steel stepped away from the casket, allowing for his fellow heroes to approach it and do what they would. Some just looked at it for a minute before saying goodbye to the guardian of the shadows. Others would make a miniature conversation, perhaps mention some fond memory. And a few would just salute it before returning to where they had originally been. The actions were variable, but despite whatever they may be…they all carried the same message.

'You were one of the best. Farewell, hero.'

Superman watched with awe as each guest came one by one and made peace with the bat. Even those who feared or whom disliked him. Clark was surprised, however, when Ra's al Ghul stepped up to the casket. He hadn't even realized the warrior was hiding amongst the crowd. Nobody had given him the whereabouts to where the Dark Knight's funeral would take place. But…al Ghul was a resourceful man. If he wanted to get here. He would.

Had the man done something to disturb this proceeding…Kal would've never forgiven himself. Just the very thought made him mentally say a word that most people would've been surprised Superman knew.

But the leader of the League of Assassins brought no chaos to the event. Clark guessed that it was because he was here as a warrior, honoring the life and death of a fellow warrior. He was certain that in those terms, Ra's considered Bruce his very brethren. This man may have been considered by most, if not all, a 'villain', and Kal-El didn't know him as well as Bruce had, but he did know one thing. Above all, Ra's al Ghul was a man of honor. He didn't think this individual would allow himself, or anyone else for that matter to let a goodbye proceeding for such an honorific warrior to be disturbed.

With his super-hearing, Clark easily picked up the words that al Ghul said to the fallen savior.

"The game of life is not one easily cheated. Sometimes fate's dice land on our number, and with lethal precision, our hand is dealt. But alas…you lived an honor-led life, doing as I've done my whole life: What I understood to be morally right. Even though what you and I believed had caused our blades to cross a great many times…I have always deemed you a warrior of honor. And it is for that, that I come here before you today, to bid you one final farewell. Goodbye detective. Warrior of Gotham." And with that the older warrior removed his sword from its sheath, placing it atop the coffin and bowing to it, before taking his leave.

--------

Jim Gordon stood before the giant memorial to Batman which had been constructed in the past few days. A Bat-Emblem like the one he wore on his chest to honor, not only the hero's death…but his life. Jim was not alone before the structure, however. No…in fact, most of Gotham City was there. They were all here to say goodbye to the man whom had protected them all for so long. None of them quite really figured out how their city was going to survive without him. He was their shield, and at the same time, their sword.

Despite the immense crowd, Jim was at the front. Whether that was because of his Police Commissioner status, or because he was one of the few, if not the only, civilian known to have a long lasting friendship with Gotham's Guardian, he didn't know. But he didn't complain. He was there with the rest of the city to say goodbye to their hero. All they needed right now was the final piece…

And as if summoned by the very thought, 'the final piece' was seen making its way to the memorial site now. It was accompanied by the grandest escort anybody had ever laid eyes upon. The classic way of carrying a casket, four men, two on each side, was utilized. Superman and the Green Lantern were on one side; on the other was Hawkman and the Martian Manhunter. The group flew through the sky at a moderate pace, shepherding the Dark Knight on his final ride. And behind them…behind them the summit of the Heavens were overflowing with a myriad of heroes. There were so many, that it would be impossible to conceive an actual number. The guardian's of this world, and a few from others, were so vast that they blanketed the very sky itself. Some flew on their own. Some flew with some sort of propulsion equipment. And some were just being carried by another hero.

The first four floated easily to the ground. In the center of the colossal bat symbol of a memorial, there was a void. An empty spot that could be used to see clean through to the other side. It had been left empty souly for this single purpose. The four heroes floated before it, lifting the casket to stand up vertically, before sliding it into the vacant spot, and it fit perfectly, as it was designed to do so. The memorial, a tribute to the Dark Knight, where he would forever rest, watching over his city.

Superman's eyes then met Gordon's, giving him a grave nod before looking over his shoulder staring deep into the crowd. His deep blue eyes scanning the vast amount of people, until they rested on a figure which somewhat surprised him.

Jason Todd…the new Red Hood standing apart from everyone else, one with the gravestones, his helmet of course hid his face. But Clark was certain he was just watching the final goodbye, seeing his mentor off safely. Despite whatever bad blood was between them, Bruce had taken that boy in and gave him a life when he had nothing, and for that, no matter what he felt towards the man…he couldn't hate him completely. So he watched in silence, before turning and disappearing into the shadows.

Then…one of the most spectacular sights anyone could ever witness was laid out before all of the spectators. In a manner so full of honor and love…each of the heroes slowly descended from the Heavens, placing a rose before the tribute statue and returning to the skies, flying off towards their own homes. It was a long process, as each of them moved one by one. It was by far one of the most amazing things that had ever happened in the history of the hero community.

------------

Back in the Batcave, Nightwing and Robin rode into the vast cavern on their individual motorcycles. Alfred had suggested taking the batmobile, but Dick just…couldn't convince himself to drive the vehicle to the funeral. That was Batman's car. Not his.

He and Tim had stayed at the proceedings until every hero had done what they would, and ultimately returned to their own place of origin, leaving the Dark Knight to rest and guard his city. The due never once even entertained the thought of possibly leaving before every last soul had exited the premises. They stayed until the very end. And then they too placed roses before the memorial, and told their father-figure goodbye for the last time and then…it was the hardest thing either of them had ever done…but they left.

Alfred's voice arose from the top of the immense staircase as Dick removed his mask. "Supper…Supper is just about ready young sirs." Grayson gave the old butler a solemn nod before turning to Tim whom had already removed his costume and returned to his civilian garb.

"Go ahead, I'll catch up…still gotta change." The younger boy nodded slowly, not really wanting to say anything before slowly making his way up the long, stone staircase, entering the mansion and allowing the secret passageway to close behind him.

Dick pulled his gloves off and gave a light sigh as he removed the upper body piece of his costume, a black muscle shirt on underneath. He left the rest of the suit on for the moment, walking away from the table where he had set the uniform.

His eyes looked deeply into the eyeless cowl of Batman's costume. The previous night, he and Tim had put one up on display, just aside where Bruce had always kept Jason's costume. A small plate sat before his, similar to the one that had always been in front of the former Robin's costume. Bruce's read:

'A Son. A Father. A Hero.'

All Dick could do was shake his head, running his fingers through his jet black hair. Out of nowhere, however, a sudden burst of rage released itself from the young boy's heart. His fist cut through the air, colliding into the cave wall just aside the glass case, with every ounce of strength his body could summon. The fist's knuckles instantly split and blood spilled from his hand. The young man turned away from the wall and pushed over one of many advanced machines that were sitting about the cave. The crash of it caused sparks to spurt all about, before the device erupted into infernal blazes. Dick then turned to the table where he'd set his costume kicking it over causing everything that was resting on it to tumble to the cave floor.

Grayson then fell as well, his knees resting on the ground. He leaned back and released a vicious, roar-like scream that filled completely with all the pain and anguish a single soul could bear. He then thrusted his fist again into the stone ground. His shout had awoken all of the bats that took up refuge within the cave. They descended from their roosts, flying in a vicious swarm through out the cavern. The pack of aerial mammals so thick, that their flight blackened out the very cavern itself…


End file.
